The Stranger
by Coopland
Summary: The Regeneration of Doctor number 9 into Doctor number 10. I'd like to think I've added something extra to it and it's not just a direct rip. But if you think it is. I'll remove it.


**The Stranger**

(The end of "The Parting of Ways" in fanfiction form, hopefully I've given it a new-depth that you can only get from the written word. Hope you enjoy what was running through my head after I finished watching the episode.Obviously there will be SPOILERS)

"Rose Tyler." The Doctor said, in the way you say someone's name when you've first met them mixed with that tone of satisfaction when something's never sounded better. "I was going to take you to Barcelona, The planet. Not the place on Earth." The Doctor grinned, that grin of his that went from giant ear to giant ear. "They've got dogs there with no noses. Imagine that, you could say that old joke all day long and it'd still be funny!"

"Well why can't you?" Asked Rose

"Well," Said The Doctor after a pause, "Maybe you will go. Maybe I'll go. I don't know."

Rose realised there was something wrong, she didn't know what. But there was urgency in his voice. It was unlike anything he had said before. He looked almost…scared.

"You're not making any sense…" she cautioned.

"I might never make sense again." The Doctor replied, "I might have two heads, or no head! Imagine that, me with no head. And don't say it'd be an improvement!"

Rose smiled, not entirely sure why, but she smiled anyway. Something was obviously wrong, terrible wrong. But he had managed to make her smile again, even when they were facing certain death he'd always managed to make her smile. But certain death was never as predictable as it sounded. Not when he was concerned. But still at least in those times even though she had been afraid, she knew what was coming. Now she was clueless, and that was even worse. Suddenly he roared in pain, keeling over from the agony.

"Doctor!"

Rose rushed towards him

"STAY BACK!"

"Doctor, what's going on?"

His happy-go-lucky face faded and was replaced by a serious one, a sad one, and then in an unusually cheery tone he said :

"I absorbed all the energy from the time vortex and no one's supposed to do that!" His expression grew serious again.

"Every cell in my body's dying." He rasped, it was obvious his pain had rapidly got worse.

"B-But can't you do something?" Rose panicked.

"Yeah! I'm doing it right now." His tone kept switching, cheery again. "You see Time Lords have this little trick, sort of a way of cheating death."

"Only, it means I'm going to change," Serious once more, "And I'm not going to see you again."

Rose could feel herself begin to cry; at least she thought she could feel herself crying, it might have been she was watching someone else crying. That's what it felt like. It felt like it was happening to someone else. Not to them. Not after all they'd been through together.

"Well," he said with a struggled laugh, "Not like this, not with _this_ daft old face."

He turned serious once more "But before I go…" he started

"Don't say that!" pleaded Rose

"Rose…!" he stopped her, "Before I go… I just want you to know, you were fantastic. _Absolutely _fantastic. And you know what?"

Rose shook her head softly, not being able to speak. The Doctor smiled "So was I!" The smile turned into his famous grin, and Rose couldn't help but smile back, even through the tears.

The Doctor jerked violently, and flung his head back, arms outstretched as the energy from the time vortex forced it's way out. Brilliantly bright golden energey particals exploded from him, the particals danced about before dissapearing, but Rose didn't notice the spectacular display. Her eyes were concentrated on the doctor. She could see something happening to him, but it was too bright. She couldn't see the shape of his face change, his nose and ears change shape. She could tell his hair was getting longer though.

The energy vanished and a stranger gasped, jerking his head forward. The stranger was wearing the doctor's clothes, only they looked a little big for him. He looked younger too and had knowledge-filled brown eyes instead of the Doctor's all-knowning blue.

"Hello." he said to Rose calmly after taking a deep breath. "Oka..."

The stranger stopped a confused look on his face, and glanced away from Rose thinking, running his tounge along the inside of his mouth. He then looked back at her.

"New teeth." He said thoughtfully, "That's weird. Now where was I?"

Once more the stranger paused in thought, then an expression of childish mischivous appeared on his face, it was somewhat familiar the strangers child-like expression.

"Oh, that's right." The stranger said in a-matter-of-fact voice, then he grinned, it was alot like the Doctor's mischivous grin when he was about to do something that could put them in danger.

"Barcelona!"

The End?

May continue into a multi-chapter-fic, may not. That depends on you.


End file.
